PopTop
01-15-2003, 11:17 AM
Personally, I just have to question Biggio's arm strength from the vast pasture that is CF in Arthur Andersen Memorial Stadium.
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/hou/news/hou_news.jsp?ymd=20030113&content_id=191181&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp
Berkman leaning left next season
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
HOUSTON -- Ask Lance Berkman if he prefers to play center field, like he did in 2002, or left field, like he wanted to in 2002, and he gives a quick response -- with a little of his signature humor mixed in.
"Last year, if I played left, I looked at it almost like an off day," he laughed. "Obviously, I really enjoy playing left. I don't mind playing center, but it's just easier on my legs to play left."
By all accounts, he'll get his wish. With Jeff Kent moving in to occupy second base, it appears that the vast center field area at Minute Maid Park just became Craig Biggio's responsibility.
Berkman is confident his veteran teammate will make a smooth transition from second to center.
"He'll make an adjustment," Berkman said. "Craig's a great athlete. He can pretty much play on the field wherever he wants to. Center field might be a good spot for him. He's an incredible athlete and readily adaptable. I don't think it'll take him long at all."
Berkman was the featured guest on "Astroline" last Thursday, which aired from standing-room-only Florida Seafood Grill on Kirby Drive. Between segments of the weekly radio show, Berkman expressed optimism for the Astros' chances to contend in '03.
"There's definitely a heightened excitement this year because of the acquisition of Kent," he said. "I'm sure that we're not done wheeling and dealing and tweaking the team. Obviously I think we have the nucleus and the foundation in place and now with Kent, that does take us from being a good team to potentially a really good team.
"We've got two of the best (starting) pitchers in the National League (Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt), we've got two of the best bullpen guys in the National League (Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner). I expect us not only to contend for the Central division (title) but to go further than that. We have higher aspirations."
Berkman, who is one of a number of Astros players working out three times a week in the home clubhouse at Minute Maid Park, has a busy schedule ahead of him in the coming weeks. Before he reports to Spring Training, he'll be honored as the team MVP at the annual baseball dinner on Jan. 31 and will make an appearance at the Astros' FanFest, a two-day warmup to the baseball season slated for Feb. 15-16 at Minute Maid Park.
FanFest will be held in conjunction with the third annual College Classic, which will pit Texas-area college baseball teams against each other during a four-day tournament beginning Thursday, Feb. 16.
The club has not yet announced the schedule for the FanFest autograph sessions, but the Killer B's -- Berkman, Jeff Bagwell, Biggio and Geoff Blum -- have committed to the event. More players are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks, and the Astros will release further details toward the end of January.
One new addition to FanFest is the "Astros Exploration Zone," where fans can take a hands-on peek into the day-to-day operations of a Major League team. Fans will have the opportunity to try on actual hats and jerseys that players wear during games, as well as swing some of the bats, right off the rack.
Fans will also be able to try on authentic Astros catcher's gear and handle real rosin bags and infield and warning track dirt, as well as pose with life-size cutouts of select Astros stars
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/hou/news/hou_news.jsp?ymd=20030113&content_id=191181&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp
Berkman leaning left next season
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
HOUSTON -- Ask Lance Berkman if he prefers to play center field, like he did in 2002, or left field, like he wanted to in 2002, and he gives a quick response -- with a little of his signature humor mixed in.
"Last year, if I played left, I looked at it almost like an off day," he laughed. "Obviously, I really enjoy playing left. I don't mind playing center, but it's just easier on my legs to play left."
By all accounts, he'll get his wish. With Jeff Kent moving in to occupy second base, it appears that the vast center field area at Minute Maid Park just became Craig Biggio's responsibility.
Berkman is confident his veteran teammate will make a smooth transition from second to center.
"He'll make an adjustment," Berkman said. "Craig's a great athlete. He can pretty much play on the field wherever he wants to. Center field might be a good spot for him. He's an incredible athlete and readily adaptable. I don't think it'll take him long at all."
Berkman was the featured guest on "Astroline" last Thursday, which aired from standing-room-only Florida Seafood Grill on Kirby Drive. Between segments of the weekly radio show, Berkman expressed optimism for the Astros' chances to contend in '03.
"There's definitely a heightened excitement this year because of the acquisition of Kent," he said. "I'm sure that we're not done wheeling and dealing and tweaking the team. Obviously I think we have the nucleus and the foundation in place and now with Kent, that does take us from being a good team to potentially a really good team.
"We've got two of the best (starting) pitchers in the National League (Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt), we've got two of the best bullpen guys in the National League (Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner). I expect us not only to contend for the Central division (title) but to go further than that. We have higher aspirations."
Berkman, who is one of a number of Astros players working out three times a week in the home clubhouse at Minute Maid Park, has a busy schedule ahead of him in the coming weeks. Before he reports to Spring Training, he'll be honored as the team MVP at the annual baseball dinner on Jan. 31 and will make an appearance at the Astros' FanFest, a two-day warmup to the baseball season slated for Feb. 15-16 at Minute Maid Park.
FanFest will be held in conjunction with the third annual College Classic, which will pit Texas-area college baseball teams against each other during a four-day tournament beginning Thursday, Feb. 16.
The club has not yet announced the schedule for the FanFest autograph sessions, but the Killer B's -- Berkman, Jeff Bagwell, Biggio and Geoff Blum -- have committed to the event. More players are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks, and the Astros will release further details toward the end of January.
One new addition to FanFest is the "Astros Exploration Zone," where fans can take a hands-on peek into the day-to-day operations of a Major League team. Fans will have the opportunity to try on actual hats and jerseys that players wear during games, as well as swing some of the bats, right off the rack.
Fans will also be able to try on authentic Astros catcher's gear and handle real rosin bags and infield and warning track dirt, as well as pose with life-size cutouts of select Astros stars